Professional Development in the City of Calgary

The City of Calgary is an international hub for travel and business.

Over the last few decades a significant number of businesses have made their home in Calgary, from energy corporations to financial hubs, Calgary has become a bacon of commerce.

Even though this create jobs, economic growth and new opportunities for community it creates a need for training and professional development. As the need for these types of training has increased the availability of high level resources has also increased.

If you are in Calgary, there are some significant training organizations and courses that are available.

Quick Example

This article will explore a number of things in regards to professional development courses in Calgary, but if you are looking for a quick recommendation then Kaleidoscope Business Development is a great option.

As a business leader in their field, Kaleidoscope is preparing business leaders and business owners for the work that lays ahead. They have a number of solutions available for people, but they are launching a new program called the summer business turnaround series.

The program has been build to help business’s identify their most critical needs and address them with specific training and support in that area. Instead of just giving you information the seminars are designed to identify the weakness and then provide real time help from an expert to create a solution.

You can check out more information and register BY CLICKING HERE

Is there a leadership void in your organization?

Leadership in the workplace isn’t as commonplace as you might think. The title on your job description doesn’t provide any actual leadership training, it just gives you a title. Effective managers and leaders improve continually, they never stop.

Who are you?

Your identity and the person that you really are is the starting place for all leadership. Often in our work environments we try to hid our authentic self and become something that we think other people want, instead of being the exact thing that they need, a real person.

Where Are You right Now on Your Journey?

The first step in effective leadership training, or professional development is to really get a sense of where you are. A great leader is able to identify the place that they are currently and assess what needs to improve.

Humility is an asset in the workplace, it isn’t a weakness, in fact it is a strength. Great leaders are able to be honest about where they are and separate their value from performance. In doing this they create a space for development, and growth. When your value is value is based solely on performance you will struggle with thinking you're never good enough. However when you are able to separate the two you will be able to grow.

Who are you Really?

Knowing who you really are and how you think and respond is critical to the development path. If you don’t use yourself as a filter for all of the things that you are learning you will be missing a critical part of the puzzle.

We all have different personalities and ways of thinking and it is foundational that you have these things figured out. Most professional development courses will have some component of this built in to their program. You may be a big picture person or you may be a fine detail person, you may be socially motivated or you may be task oriented, either way these parts of who you are are important to know.

The idea that you could become someone you are not is crazy, but the idea that you could become the very best version of yourself is paramount. This is the first step towards true leadership, become the best version of yourself.

On-boarding Specific Development Strategies

After you have identified the weaker areas of your development, it will be easier to on-board the specific training that you need to grow in that area. A great professional development course will have the elements that you need to not only identify the areas of growth, but also actually provide the growth.

The most important thing to consider when choosing training and courses is to make sure that you walk away with actual tools in hand, or specific action steps that will address the growth needed. If the course is just information and doesn’t include actual take always it might not be the best use of your time and money.

You need time and a plan to actually on-board the specific training and tools that you have received.

Have a Follow-up Plan in Place

A great plan is just a great plan unless you can implement the action items and then actually evaluate their effectiveness.

How are you going to measure the effectiveness of your training?

How are you going to recognize growth?

Everyone is different, as mentioned above different people need different things. Your follow-up plan should reflect your personality and your learning style.

A great follow-up plan should give you a result, either you have grown, or you haven’t, and a great follow up plan will provide you with the next steps

Next Steps from Here

In Calgary there are a whole number of really great courses and programs that you can get involved in. The recommendation of Kaleidoscope above is an example of a really great program in Calgary.

Whatever you choose as your development program make sure you include these three things.

Identity - Who are you, and how do you operate. It will affect your learning and development so get a good sense of who you are.
Action Steps - Make sure it’s not all just information, but that the course includes tangible action steps and implementation strategies.
Follow-up Plan - A good development course will also have a follow-up plan that provides you with a way to evaluate if you are growing, and what you need to do next. It doesn’t leave you on an island.